Posted on 05/16/2005 10:55:38 AM PDT by sully777
This is not an ad but a call to the odd music listener. The alternative band, They Might Be Giants (TMBG), are featured this month on DirecTV's Freeview as an alternative to Bryan Adams, for which "the Canadian government has already apologized" (South Park).
Background http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Might_Be_Giants ...[They Might be Giants] duo released their self-titled debut album in 1986 , and it became a college radio hit. The video for " Don't Let's Start " became a hit on VH1 , earning them a broader following.
In 1988 they released their second album, Lincoln . This album caused a major shock within the US music industry when in its first week of release it knocked U2 's The Joshua Tree off the top of the Billboard College Charts (the US music industry's equivalent to the "Alternative/Independent" charts elsewhere in the world) after only a one week stay at the top (most were expecting U2 to be on top for the remainder of the year). The first single from Lincoln , " Ana Ng ", reached number 89 on the UK Billboard charts, and was No.1 in the College Charts, earning the attention of major labels.
In 1989 , they signed with Elektra Records , and released their third album Flood the following year. Flood earned them a gold album, thanks to the singles " Birdhouse in Your Soul ", which reached number 6 in the UK charts, and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)".
Further interest in the band was generated by a pair of music videos featured in Warner Brothers cartoon Tiny Toon Adventures : "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Particle Man". This reflects the high "kid appeal" that TMBG has, resulting from their often silly or absurd songs and poppy melodies....[Snip]
...in 1999 , they contributed the song Dr. Evil to the motion picture Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me...the theme music ("Dog on Fire", composed by Bob Mould ) for the Peabody Award -winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...and "Boss of Me" as the theme song to the hit television series Malcolm in the Middle...[Snip]
...The band takes its name from the 1971 movie They Might Be Giants starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward (based on the play of the same name written by James Goldman .) The play (and movie) title is a reference to Don Quixote , who mistook windmills for giants. George C. Scott's character discusses man's ability to invent and analyze past the obvious...”
They Might Be Giants: Installing and servicing melody since 1982 http://www.tmbg.com/froMain.html
Birdhouse In Your Soul I'm your only friend I'm not your only friend But I'm a little glowing friend But really I'm not actually your friend But I am
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch Who watches over you Make a little birdhouse in your soul Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I have a secret to tell From my electrical well It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells So the room must listen to me Filibuster vigilantly My name is blue canary one note* spelled l-i-t-e My story's infinite Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch Who watches over you Make a little birdhouse in your soul Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I'm your only friend I'm not your only friend But I'm a little glowing friend But really I'm not actually your friend But I am
There's a picture opposite me Of my primitive ancestry Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free Though I respect that a lot I'd be fired if that were my job After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts Bluebird of friendliness Like guardian angels its always near ...
A ping that may interest you and your ping lists.
Don't, don't, don't let's start.
I TiVo'ed the show. Some great songs included James K. Polk, Boss of Me, and Cyclops Rock
TMBG is a great band. Politically, they're kooks, but they're great performers.
TMBG is to pop music as Stern's Tristam Shandy is to literature. One wild ride of total oddity which makes sense and nonsense on so many levels at the same time.
Thanks for posting this!
Thought you might be interested
Mr. Horrible
Mr. Horrible
Mr. Horrible
Telephone call for Mr. Horrible
But before he can talk to the ugliness men
There's some horrible business left
For him to attend to
Something unpleasant has spilled on his brain
As he sponges it off they say
"Is this Horrible?
Is this Horrible?
It's the ugliness men, Mr. Horrible
We're just trying to bug you
We thought that our dreadfulness
Might be a thing to annoy you with"
But Mr. Horrible says, "I don't mind
The thing that bothers me is
Someone keeps moving my chair"
"Would you mind if we balance this glass of milk
Where your visiting friend accidentally was killed?
Would it be okay with you if we wrote a reminder
Of things we'll forget to do today otherwise,
Using a green magic marker, if it's alright
On the back of your head?"
Mr. Horrible
Mr. Horrible
We're not done with you yet Mr. Horrible
You have to try on these pants so the Ugliness Men
Can decide if they're just as embarrassing as we think
We have to be sure about this
But Mr. Horrible says, "I don't mind
The thing that bothers me is
Someone keeps moving my chair"
Someone keeps moving my chair
Mr. Horrible says, "I don't mind
The thing that bothers me is
Someone keeps moving my chair"
I always wondered what the heck they were talking about until my wife noticed the name on our weird little clock radio lamp beside the bed.
I bought this funky thing at a yard sale because it was so weird. The radio has no "off" switch, it never rests.
Is it your opinion Big Giant Head that TMBG are musically related to the late, great Frank Zappa?
I noticed they are adaptable to any style with ease, and find humor in satirizing formulaic music/music industry in general. But I wish to know if you think they have attained the zen of zappa?
I like them better than Zappa. TMBG can do what Zappa did while retaining an innocence. And I love Zappa.
Related musically? Not in musican-quality caliber chops, but in a humor sense yes. Frank introduced stupendous musicians to the world.
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